Kindred Spirits Connected By Destiny and Fate
by bluebarnowl
Summary: Jack and Cadence have been friends for seven years. Now their friendship is tested when Pitch Black tries to take over the world through fear. But there's more to Cadence than meets the eye. There's a reason she can see Jack at the age of seventeen. (JackxOC).
1. Chapter 1

**I'm putting a brand new OC in the ROTG movie. I think I've waited long enough to do this. I've got her doing her own thing in Rebellion of the Sirens, but I want to put her in here.**

**Please be honest, but not brutally honest.**

* * *

><p><em>A 10 year-old girl was crying to herself near a frozen lake. <em>

_The other kids were making fun of her again just because of her. . . Unique appearance. _

_For starters, her skin was so white, she would've just been a patch of snow, if it weren't for her purple jacket and her long black jeans. Her bluish/black raven hair was in a tight fishtail braid that was able to reach the floor of the snowy forest. Her vividly purple eyes glowed in the soft darkness under a willow tree, and they were stinging with tears._

_The kids would often call her names like Albino, Vampire, Dracula's daughter, and a lot of other things. _

_She wiped the tears from her eyes as fresh snow began to fall. She often ran here in times of distress during the day, but never at night. She only came here now, in the middle of the night, during the coldest week of winter, because her parents were fighting again. _

_So she ran away here, and didn't want to go back. But she didn't plan that far ahead and didn't pack any clothes, blankets, or food. _She ran here because she felt a certain connection with this lake. She didn't know why, she just felt it__

_She felt a lot of things. Hurt, anger, fear, depression. _

_"Maybe if I just stay here and freeze to death, everyone would be better off without me." She said to herself out loud. She tried to think of the one good memory that would make her smile. _

_'Peter Pan.'_

_Oh, yeah! The Disney movie that she always loved. She would often dream of going to Neverland, and sword fighting, and mermaids! _

_But she knew that dreams are not real. _

_She still smiled, though, because she always believed in Peter Pan. As silly as it is, she did and she does._

_'WHOOSH!' A strong breeze rushed over her frail body. She shivered, but didn't try to warm herself. _

_"What are you doing out here kid?" A voice asked. __The girl whipped her head around, her snow-flaked, raven-haired braid whipping around. There was no one in sight. _

_"It's just the hypothermia talking. It'll all be over soon." She sighed._

_"Are you alright?" The voice asked again. It was a boy's voice, young and mischievous. This time she looked up. _

_It was a boy! Sort of. . . _

_He had white hair, striking blue eyes, and pale skin. His figure was tall, stature, albeit slim. His clothing: a blue hooded sweater, frost collecting around the ring of the collar, and trousers bound with lighter material starting from the knee down to the rather tattered and frayed bottom, and was barefoot. In his hand was a staff with a G-shaped arch, resembling a shepherd's crook. He stood a top a tree branch and frost quickly spread around him._

_"Peter Pan?" The girl asked. _

_"What? No, I'm Jack Frost! Wait-" He flipped down from the tree branch and hung upside down in front of the girl's face. "You can see me?" _

_"Y-Yes." She answered, shivering from the cold. _

_"Someone can actually see me!" He jumped from the tree branch and on to the forest floor in excitement. _

_"So, you're the real Jack Frost?" The little girl stood up and was actually quite tall for a ten year-old. _

_"Yeah," He smiled before facing her, "So, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" _

_The little girl hugged herself and looked down at her feet. "The other kids keep making me cry and my parents don't do anything expect fight. And sometimes my daddy would get so mad he would start hitting me until I started bleeding." __Tears began to fall from the little girl's purple eyes. "So I ran away." _

_Jack knelt to the little girls height. _

_"Hey, you did what you felt like you had to do. There's no need to cry." _

_"But now I don't have a home! And I'm too scared to go back!" _

_Jack pulled the little girl into a hug. He didn't know what else to do in this kind of situation. The little girl didn't fight back, but she was confused. _

_"What are you doing?" She asked. Her tears had slowed a bit. _

_"I'm giving you a hug. You have gotten hugs before haven't you?" He pulled out so he could look her in the eye._

_She shook her head, her braid whipping around behind her. _

_"What's your name, anyway?" He asked._

_"My name's Cadence, Cadence Vivian."_

* * *

><p><em>After that, things have been better for Cadence and Jack.<em>

_Jack had brought Cadence back to her house, and when she got into her room, the police arrived, upon request of a neighbor who heard the yelling and made a complaint. Her father was arrested and things have never been greater. Cadence's mother got a well-paying job and Jack came to visit Cadence every winter. _

_It was like this for the past seven years._

_And their real story was just beginning. . . _


	2. Chapter 2

Cadence walked down the sidewalk from school. It had ended early due to unexcepted snowfall. She was quite happy taking the day off, and she loved the winter. It was slowly coming to an ended, but she took in every moment of it. She loved the cold air, the smell of smores and kindling, the fresh, beautiful snow.

Plus, she knew there was another reason for the unexpected snowfall. Walking home, she thought of her best friend. She promised to meet him at the pond later that day, for some ice skating.

Her bluish/black raven haired fishtail braid shone in the bright sunlight. Her skin was still snowy-white with her favorite purple winter coat that she always wore with her favorite pair of faded jeans and black winter boots that covered the ends of her jeans. Her backpack was halfway on and her textbooks in one hand.

She was almost to her house when something pushed her from behind.

"Whoa! Sorry, lady!" Three kids ran past her and waved. Two of them were African American, obviously twins, while the third one was Caucasian with brown hair and chocolate eyes. The brown haired boys eyes were glued to a book on mythological creatures.

"It's alright." She called after them. The brown haired boy looked back at Cadence and eyed her in confusion.

"Are you a vampire?" He asked. She stiffened at the boy's ignorant curiosity. She may have been used to it, but the word vampire still stung her like a heated needle.

"No. I'm an albino." She gritted through her smile.

The boy shrugged and continued walking. He ducked through an opening in the fence, followed by the twins. Cadence continued walking. After a few moments, Cadence finally made it to her house. The wrap around porch was painted blue with white fencing. It was a two story house with a white garage door, and a red door. Cadence dug around for her key, opened the door and found her house empty.

"Mom?" She called out.

No response. She walked to the kitchen to find a note taped to the cabinets, written in her mother's handwriting.

_Cadence, I'm sorry for such short notice, but I'm leaving town for the weekend for a business trip.  
>I'll be back on Tuesday, and I can trust you to stay safe. Call me if you any problems.<br>__Love, Mom._

_P.S. There's extra blueberry brioche left in the fridge._

Her mom always knew that Cadence loved brioche. It was so sweet and fluffy. But that had to wait. Cadence had to finish her homework before she could go and hang out with Jack that night.

She got right to work so she could go out with Jack.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention, her best friend is Jack Frost.

* * *

><p>Jack Frost was hanging upside down outside of Jamie Bennett's bedroom window. His cool breath frosted over the glass. The full moon above him lit up the night sky. He flipped onto the roof of the house.<p>

"If there's something I'm doing wrong can...can you just tell me what it is because I've tried everything and no one ever sees me." He pleaded, his voice cracking ever so slightly. "'Cause I've tried _everything_, and no one, but Cadence, ever sees me." The moon continued to shine, steady and unchanging.

"Y-You put me here, the least you can do is tell me...tell me why!" He demanded accusingly. But of course the all too familiar silence is the only thing that greeted him. "Why do I bother?" He came off the house and jumped onto a telephone pole.

"Hey, Jack!" A voice called from below him. He looked down to see Cadence waving up at him. Smiling, he flipped down gracefully next to her. When standing next to each other, they were both practically the same height.

"Where've you been? You were supposed to meet me at the pond hours ago." She said.

"I-uh, got a little distracted." He explained everything he did on Jamie's wild ride. They walked along the streets on the cold, clear night. Everything was silent, save for the wind blowing through the small neighborhood and apartment buildings.

Cadence listened intently. Since Jack was her only real friend, she couldn't be happier. He smiled brightly as he explained all of the action during the sled ride. She loved it when he smiled. It was so bright and mischievous, warning you that he might shove some snow down your pants. His sharp blue eyes gave off a little twinkle when the light of the lamppost hit them just right. His white hair was messy and tangled, just the way he liked it. He'd never looked more handsome. Cadence felt embarrassed for staring. She looked to the side when she felt her cheeks warm up. Hopefully Jack didn't notice her blushing.

"You just had to mess with them, didn't you?" She giggled.

Now it was Jack's turn to stare. Her snow-white skin was so flawless and perfect; her almond-round, vividly purple eyes glowed in the dark. Her bluish/black raven hair braid whipped around as she walked, giving off a dark shade of shimmering blue. Last, but definitely not least, he loved to hear her laugh. If he got her to laugh enough, she would start snorting, which he found completely adorable.

"Whoa!" Jack got distracted when a shadowy figure ran past them.

"What was that?" Cadence asked. They both stood absolutely still. At first, all they heard were the voices of the townspeople preparing to inside for the night.

A man asked his wife, "Did you leave the windows open again?"

They didn't hear the reply, but a person in another house said, "The garage door is wide open."

Jack and Cadence wandered past the houses, still searching for the shadowy figure. Once again, something zoomed past the two friends. They couldn't see what it was, the shadows were too dark.

_Whoosh_. There it was again. A trash can tumbled behind them .

"Stay behind me." Jack put his arm protectively over Cadence and held his staff in a defensive position. They scooted backwards into a dark alley.

"'Ello, mate." They both spun to find the owner of the voice. Jack squinted as the Easter Bunny, or Bunnymund, stepped fully in to the light.

He stood between six to seven feet tall, with grayish-blue fur, with flower-like imprints on both his forehead and shoulders, and bright green eyes. He wore leather bracers set with orange stones, a single-strap holster with which he carried his boomerangs, and leather wrappings on his feet.

"Been a long time. Blizzard of '68, I believe. Easter Sunday wasn't it?" He pointed one of his boomerangs at Jack.

"So, that's the Easter Bunny?" Cadence asked. Bunnymund blinked, as if finally realizing that someone else was here. He was quite stunned. Not just because a teenage girl could him, but because a teenage girl could actually see _Jack_!

"Who's the shelia?" He asked, gesturing towards the snowy white girl.

"Oh, uh, Cadence, Bunny. Bunny, Cadence." Jack gestured between the two of them, before turning back to Bunny, "So, you're not still mad about _that_, are you?" Jack tried to put on his '_innocently guilty_' face, which always made Cadence's heart flutter.

"Yes," Bunny gritted through his teeth, "But this is about something else." Bunnymund glanced towards the side alley. "Fellas."

Before either of them could react, a huge sack was brought over Jack and Cadence's head, engulfing them both in darkness.

"Hey!" Jack protested.

"Let us go!" Cadence shouted.

They were both ignored as the first yeti pulled out a snow globe and then smashed it on the ground, saying, "Durtal bardla burdlew." A magic portal opened in front of them. The yeti's indicated that Bunny should go first.

"Me?" Bunny pointed to himself. "Not on your nelly. See you back at the Pole."

And with that, Bunny stomped his big foot on the ground. A rabbit hole appeared, and Bunny jumped into it.

"Bwardla arghl." The second yeti said before tossing Jack and Cadence into the snow globe portal.

"_Ahhhhhhh!_" Both Jack's and Cadence's voices echoed as he fell. The two yetis leaped in after them.

* * *

><p>The Tooth Fairy was running her business from North's fortress. "Tangiers! 421 rue de Barat! <em>Allez<em>!" She sent a Mini Fairy to get a tooth from that address.  
>Suddenly, a sack flew out of a magic portal and thudded onto the floor.<p>

"He's here," North announced. But North and Sandy were both surprised to see two figures crawling out of the bag. Tooth was nearby, surrounded by a dozen hovering Mini Fairies who came and went as she barked orders at them.

"Walla Walla, Washington, we've got a trampoline mishap at 1340 Ginger Lane," She told a fairy. "Canine, lateral, _and_ central incisor. Ouch!" The little fairy hurried away.

North cleared his throat. "Jack Frost, and. . . friend."

"My name is Cadence." The pale girl pointed out.

"Ah, yes." North and Sandy looked at each other wearily. "And just to be clear, you can see us?"

"Yes. I can see all of you. Am I not supposed to?"

Sandy made a snowflake out of dream sand appear above his head.

"Wow. You've _got_ to be kidding me." Jack breathed out, taking a look around the room. Then a pair of yetis reached forward and propped Jack and Cadence up.

"Hey! Hey! Put me down!" Jack protested, while Cadence merely thanked the yeti that had picked her up.

"I hope the yetis treated you well." North said.

"Oh, yeah." Jack said sarcastically. "We loved being kidnapped and shoved through magic portals in a sack." Cadence giggled at the statement.

"Oh good," North nodded, "That was my idea."

Bunnymund entered the room and North said, "You know Bunny, obviously."

"Obviously." Jack growled under his breath. Bunnymund, however, had his eyes on Cadence, who stood quietly away from the group. Other than the girl's appearance, there was. . . something about her. He stood to the side, with his arms crossed, while the Mini Fairies swarmed around Jack.

"And the Tooth Fairy." North made the introduction.

Before Jack could answer, Tooth glided toward him. "Hello, Jack," She greeted. "I've heard a lot about you. And your teeth."

Jack put a hand to his mouth. "My. . . My what?"

Tooth leaned in way too close. "Open up," She said. "Are they really as white as they say? Yes! Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!"

Cadence felt a twinge of jealousy. The Tooth Fairy had the guts, that Cadence didn't have, to fawn over Jack! Of course, she thought fawning over some guy was stupid, but she didn't know if she liked Jack as a friend or. . . more than a friend. They'd been best friends for 7 years! She's a little too scared to tell him about it because she thought that it might wreck their friendship.

North went on with the introductions. "And Sandman." He gestured to a little golden man with golden robes, who had fallen asleep. His hair reminded Cadence of a clown's hairdo. North tried to shake the Sandman awake. "Sandy! Sandy! WAKE UP!" North voice boomed, causing Cadence to wince.

The Sandman finally woke up and then smiled at Jack.

"Anyone want to tell me why I-Er, We're here?" Jack corrected himself as he remembered that Cadence was here. The Sandman made sand images above his head. "That's not really helping, but thanks." Jack told him.

"We?" Tooth asked. Jack pointed to Cadence, who was standing off to the side. Cadence waved hello to the hummingbird hybrid.

"Anyway," Jack intervened, "Why are we here?"

Bunny grumbled. "First of all, you were supposed to be alone!" Bunny pointed at Jack accusingly. "Not smooching with albino girl over here." Jack and Cadence both blushed at Bunny's remark.

"I must've done something _really _bad to get you_ four_ together. Am I on the naughty list?" Jack said as he looked around.

"On the naughtily list?" North laughed so hard, his belly shook, before becoming serious. "You hold the record."

Cadence pretty much expected that.

But Jack's antics weren't all that for a bad cause. Once, the older kids were chasing Cadence, so they could beat her up. Jack iced the cement sidewalk and the kids slipped and slid, allowing Cadence to escape. It was one of the sweetest things that Jack ever did for her.

"But no matter. We overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate." North said.

"How come?" Jack asked.

"Good question," Bunny smirked.

"Home come?" North repeated, "I'll tell you how come!" He turned to Jack. "Because now you are Guardian."

While Jack stood stood there entirely confused with Cadence, the yetis lit ceremonial torches. Elves leaped down from columns, unfurling banners as they descended. A few of the mini Fairies brought a crown of flowers, which Jack refused to take.

"What are you doing?" Jack pushed the fairies back. "Get off of me."

Horns blared throughout the room, causing Cadence to cover her ears, protecting her ears. She always had such delicate hearing, so hearing people screaming or trumpets blaring alway hurt her ears.

"This is the best part." North told Jack.

An elf marching band entered the room while the yetis pushed Jack to his designated spot on the floor, and pushing Cadence to the side behind the rest of the Guardians. She almost fell over, but Sandy constructed a chair for her to fall back into. She smiled at him and nodded as a silent 'thank you'. A yeti handed North a thick book. He blew off the dust and then began searching for the correct page.

Jack slammed his staff on the floor, frost and wind blasted throughout the room. Everyone stopped as the torches blew out.

"What makes you think I would want to be a Guardian?" Jack asked.

North looked at Jack and chuckled. "Of course you do." He cued the elf band to start playing again. "Music!"

"No music!" Jack demanded. The band gave up. And with a huff, one of the elves tossed his trump onto the ground and stomped out of the room.

"Look," Jack said as he hopped up onto a nearby desk and sat down on it, "This is all very flattering, but ah, you don't want me. You're all hard work and deadlines, and I'm snowballs and fun times. I'm not a Guardian."

"That's exactly what I said." Bunny agreed.

Tooth flew toward Jack. "Jack, I don't think you understand what it is we do." She told Jack to look at the massive Globe behind him. "Each of those lights is is child." Tooth began.

North picked up the story. "A child who believes. And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them," Then he added, "Tooth, fingers out of mouth."

Tooth was once again examining Jack's mouth. She obviously loved looking into other people's mouths. "Oh, sorry. They're beautiful." She blushed. Cadence felt that twinge again.

North went on, saying, "Okay, no more wishy washy! Pitch is out there doing who knows what?"

"The Boogeyman?" Jack and Cadence both snickered.

"Yes!" North said. "When Pitch threatens _us_, he threatens _them _as well." North pointed to the globe.

"All the more reason to to pick someone more qualified." Jack said.

"_Pick?_" North boomed. "You think _we_ pick? No, you were_ chosen_, like we were all chosen. By the Man in the Moon."

That caught Jack's attention. "What?" He asked.

"Last night, Jack," Tooth said, "He chose you."

Bunny snorted. "Maybe."

Jack squinted at North. "The Man on the Moon? He talks to you?"

"You see, you cannot say no," North said. "It is destiny."

Feeling like his head might explode from too much information, Jack asked, "But why wouldn't he tell me that himself? After three hundred years, this is his answer? To spend _eternity _like you guys, cooped up in some hideout, thinking of new ways to bribe kids? No, that's not for me. No offense."

"How's that not offensive?" Bunny sneered. "You know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean, what's this clown know about bringing joy to children, anyway?"

Jack felt like he needed to defend himself. "Uh, you ever hear of a snow day? I know it's no hard-boiled egg, but kids _like _what I do."

Bunny replied, "But none of them believe in you."

Jack pointed his staff at Cadence , who was still sitting in the dream sand chair, "Then explain her!" All the attention in the room was then drawn towards Cadence.

"Please don't bring me into this." Cadence pleaded.

"Actually," Bunny growled as he stomped away from Jack and towards the purple-eyed girl, "I'm sure we would all like to know how you even believe in Jack. How do we even know that she's actually human? She looks more like a vampire."

Cadence finally snapped. "Because Jack saved my life when I ran away and nearly froze to death." Cadence shouted, jumping up from the chair at lightning speed. "And, yes, Bunny, I am human! It's not my fault that I was born like this!"

Her outburst surprised everyone, even Jack. He was so used to see the calm, smiling girl, he had forgotten that Cadence could actually shout like that. The Guardians stared at her with blank expressions.

Once she had calmed herself, she continued speaking. "Jack has been my only friend for the past 7 years. Every other person that I met would call me a freak, just because I don't look like them. Jack was the only person I could actually turn to, besides my own mother, who is barely ever at home."

She stood over next to Jack and took his hand into hers. Jack suddenly felt self-conscious when she held his hand.

North stepped forward. "Jack, Cadence. Walk with me." He gestured for them to follow.

* * *

><p><strong>I thought it would be time to put my OC into the movie. Sorry I left out the "kangaroo" part, but I needed a scene for Cadence to interact with the Guardians. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

North led Jack and Cadence into an elevator that looked like a Christmas tree ornament. When the door opened, they stepped into North's factory.

Cadence and Jack took in the yetis, elves, and toys. Jack said, "It's nothing personal North. What you all do. . . It's just. . . It's not my thing."

North replied, "The Man in the Moon says it is your thing. We will see."

With big footsteps, North hurried through the factory. Jack and Cadence struggled to keep up, they were so distracted by everything they saw.

"Slow down wouldja?" Jack panted, "I've been trying to bust into this place for years, I want a good look."

North refused to slow. "What do you mean 'bust in'?"

"Don't worry," Jack said, "I never got past the yetis."

A yeti nearby glared at Jack, pounded his fist into his his palm and growled a warning. "Rwwarrrrr."

Jack grinned. "Oh, hey, Phil."

"Keep up, Jack, Cadence! Keep up!" North shouted. Cadence tried to keep pace with both Jack and North, but they were so much faster. Luckily, Jack realized that she was falling behind and grabbed her hand to pull her along.

"I thought the elves made the toys." Cadence said.

"We just let them believe that." North whispered to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a few elves eating tinsel and saw an elf covered in lights, being electrocuted. As they went deeper to the heart of the factory, yetis brought toys for North to inspect. One yeti brought North a nicely painted blue robot toy.

"I don't like it," North said bluntly, "Paint it red!"

The yeti cursed in its native tongue and slammed his head at the table after looking at 50 other blue robots like the first one.

"Step it up everybody!" North boomed. Energy in the factory increased exponetioneally as North, Jack, and Cadence entered North's workshop.

North's shelves were filled with sketches, parts, and toys. There were blocks of ice on his workshop bench from which he carved prototypes. When North rolled up his sleeves, Cadence noticed the 'Nice' and 'Naughty' tattoos on either sides of North's large, burly arms.

North took a plate from an elf and offered Jack and Cadence a slice of fruitcake.

"No thanks." They both said at the same time.

North threw the plce across the room. It slammed into the wall with a crash, startling Cadence. He then stared at Jack and Cadence with hooded eyes.

"Now we get to tacks of brass." North said with a growl.

"Tacks of brass?" Jack said softly to himself. A gust of wind came behind the two teens and slammed the door, locking it behind them. North moved towards closer towards them, until they were backed up against the wall.

Cadence instinctively clamped onto Jack's arm. She felt protected when she was around him. She could handle herself in a situation, but they were facing a childhood Guardian.

"Who are you, Jack Frost?" North asked as he poked Jack in the chest. "What is your center?"

"My center?" Jack repeated softly.

"If the man in the Moon chose _you _to be a Guardian, you must have something very special inside," North said. He picked up a set of Russian nesting dolls, carved into his likeness.

"Here," he told Jack. "This is how you both see me, no? Very big, intimidating. But if you get to know me a little. . ." He handed the doll to Jack.

Out of curiosity, Jack opened the first doll to reveal a slightly smaller version of the first doll, this one was cheery and had bright red cheeks.

"You're down right jolly?" Jack asked.

"Ah," North said. "But not just jolly. . ."

Cadence watched as North encouraged Jack to continue to open the dolls. Each one got smaller and smaller as Jack continued to remove them. They were all different versions of North.

"I am also mysterious. . . And fearless. . . And caring. . . And at my center. . ." The tiniest doll was a tiny baby North with giant blue eyes.

"There's a tiny baby you?" Jack guessed.

"Look closer. What do you see?" North asked.

"You have big eyes!" Cadence said.

"YES!" North boomed very loudly, once again, causing Cadence to wince. "Big eyes. _Very _big! Because they are full of _wonder_. That is my center. It is what I was born with. Eyes that have always seen the wonder in _everything_!"

With a wave of his arms, the toys on North's shelves burst to life. Jack-in-the-boxes popped. Trains sped around the room. Soldiers began to march. Toy planes zoomed around the room. An elf was lifted and carried off by a balloon.

"Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air." A toy plane stalled in front of North before taking flight again. "This wonder is what I put into the world and what I protect in children. It is what makes me a Guardian." North looked to Jack. "What is yours?"

Jack didn't answer as he stared down at the tiny wooden Santa in his palm. North reached out and then closed Jack's palm around the doll, silently telling him to keep it.

North then looked at Cadence with a straight face. Cadence felt awkward under his gaze. She felt like she was being searched for a certain weakness.

But before North could say anything, Bunny came running up.

"We have a problem mate," Bunny announced in a panicked rush. "Trouble at the Tooth Palace."

* * *

><p>North immediately led everyone to the sleigh hangar. Tooth had already gone ahead to her palace. Several yetis rushed in to prepare the sleigh for launch.<p>

"Boys, shipshape," North told the yetis. "As soon as possible." Cadence pulled Jack out of the way of a rushed yeti.

"North! North!" Jack called out for his attention. "I told you, I'm not a Guardian. We're not going with you guys. There's no way we're climbing into some rickety old-" Cadence couldn't hear what Jack said over the sound of pounding hooves and snorting reindeer.

The sleigh was incredible! It was huge and shining. This was not just a sleigh-it was a totally tricked out, hot rod of a sleigh, complete with all kinds of gadgets. "Whoa" was all Jack and Cadence could manage to say at the same time.

North called the massive reindeer to a halt and the yetis finished the preparations for takeoff.

"Okay," Jack said.

"One ride. But that's it." Cadence finished for him. She was about to jump in, but she was lifted by her parka hood by Bunny who had a strict look on his face.

"Hey! Put me down!" She demanded. She squirmed and kicked around, trying to get free from Bunny's grip.

"What do ya think you're doin', shelia?" He lifted Cadence up to his eye level.

"Going with you guys." Cadence shrugged.

"Don't you have parents to get back to?" He scoffed.

"My mom's on a business trip." She said.

"What bout ya Pop?"

"He's in prison." She said with a deadpanned voice. Bunny dropped Cadence and she quickly landed on her feet. The other Guardians blinked at Cadence.

"So, you guys are pretty much stuck with me." She smirked with her head held in pride.

Bunny grunted in annoyance, "Fine! But you do what we say, when we say! Got it?"

"Nope!" Cadence laughed as she hopped in next to Jack as Sandman climbed into the back.

"Everyone loves the sleigh." North chuckled. Taking the reins, North wrapped them around his powerful hands, then turned to Bunny who was still standing outside of the sleigh. "Bunny, what are you waiting for?"

"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate," Bunny shuddered, "And, um, safer." He was about to turn away when North reached out and hauled Bunny aboard.

"Ah, get in. Buckle up." North announced.

Bunny looked frantically around the seat. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are the bloody seat belts?"

North laughed. "That was just an expression." He asked the yetis, "Are we ready?"

One yeti shook his head, but North ignored him and cracked the reins. "Good!" He shouted. "Let's go! Clear!"

Elves and yetis scattered as the sleigh headed down a long sledding track. North, Sandy, Jack, and Cadence were enjoying the speed, while Bunny was cowering and clutching the handrail of the sleigh for dear life.

"Out of the way!" North shouted to a few elves as they passed. "Hyah!" North shook the reins, and the reindeer picked up the pace.

The sleigh went straight up for a few minutes, then zoomed straight down. Sandy grinned and Jack and Cadence shouted in delight. North pulled a lever, sending the sleigh into a corkscrew.

"I hope you like the loopty-loops!" North shouted.

"I hope you like carrots!" Bunny turned green, threatening to throw up his lunch.

"Here we go!" North shouted. The sleigh reached the bottom of the track and shot off the ramp at the end, up and out into the bright blue sky.

"Wooo-hooooo!" Jack raised his arm in the air.

The sleigh hit some turbulence, causing Cadence and Jack to slide into each other. Their cheeks were covered in a deep blush as their hands touched. Thankfully, the Guardians didn't notice their little moment, and Cadence carefully pushed herself away from Jack. Jack leaped to the rear of the sled to see the North Pole disappear as they sped through the sky.

"Hey, Bunny." Jack stood dangerously on the back edge of the sleigh. "Check out the view." Suddenly, Jack flipped off the side. "EEEYAAAAGGGGHHH!"

Bunny gasped and gingerly peered over the side, thinking Jack had fallen, only to find Jack lounging on the sleigh's skid. Cadence face palmed at Jack's immaturity.

"Aww. You _do _care," Jack said with a smile.

"Oh, rack off, ya bloody show-pony!" Bunny scowled as Jack climbed back into his seat. Cadence punched Jack in the arm, who just shrugged and gave an awkward smile.

North rattled the reins. "Hold on, everyone. I know a shortcut!"

Bunny groaned. "I knew we should have taken the tunnels."

North held up a snow globe. "Tooth Palace," North told the globe. An image of Tooth's Palace filled the globe. North tossed to snow globe in front of the sleigh, and a giant portal opensleight he sky.

"Hyah!" North shouted. The sleigh was sucked into the vortex.

* * *

><p>The sleigh emerged outside the Tooth Palace. Streaks of black filled the sky around the beautiful, delicate castle.<p>

"What?!" North squinted. "What are they?" On closer look, Cadence could see that the streaks were horses made of black sand.

"Nightmares," She said under her breath.

Mini Fairies flew past the sleigh, screaming in horror. Sandy and Bunny ducked as Nightmares swooped past the sled.

"Whoa!" Bunny shouted.

"They're taking the Mini Fairies!" Jack pointed to a stream of Nightmares chasing a pack of fairies and gulping them down into the blackness. A lone fairy was flying nearby with a big ugly Nightmare on her tail. Jack reached out and rescued her before the Nightmare could swallow her up.

"Hey, little Baby Tooth," Jack said. "You okay?" He held her safely away from the Nightmares.

Baby Tooth nodded as North drove the sleigh through the Tooth Palace. There were pillars as far as the eye could see. Each pillar contained millions of boxes where the baby teeth were stored.

Inside the chamber, North handed the sleigh reins to Cadence.

"Here," He said. "Take over."

"Wait...What?!" Bunny shouted.

"Hyah!" Cadence whooped, gladly taking control.

North unsheathed his swords and slashed a Nightmare in half. "Yah!" He shouted as the Nightmare split open and hundreds of tooth boxes spilled down into the sleigh. the Nightmare disintegrated.

"They're stealing the teeth!" Bunny shouted.

Sandy looked at where the Nightmare disappeared. The Nightmare had become grains of black sand that were now attaching to one another. Within seconds, a new Nightmare was created.

The Guardians looked up just as Cadence was about to plow the sleigh into one of the pillars.

"Cadence! Look out!" North shouted.

Cadence pulled back on the reins. "AAAAAHHH!" Everyone yelled as the sleigh sideswiped the pillar and landed hard on a platform. Cadence was panting and laughing in delight.

"Let's do that again!" Cadence smiled.

"NO!" Jack and the Guardians shouted. Their attention was brought back to Tooth who was directly above them.

"Tooth!" North called out. "Are you alright?"

Tooth was flying in circles, frustrated and angry. "They took my fairies!" She shrieked. "And the teeth! All of them! Everything is gone! _Everything_!" Defeated, she slouched to the ground and her wings drooped.

The Guardians gathered around her. Baby Tooth popped out of Jack's coat and then flew to Tooth.

Tooth raised her damp eyes to the fairy. "Oh, thank goodness! One of you is alright!

A British voice then boomed through the cavernous room. "I have to say, this is very, very exciting."

A man was standing over the Guardians with a smug smile. He was tall, lithe, and dark in appearance. He had silver-golden, yellow eyes resembling an eclipse, dull pale-gray skin, and glossy black hair that was styled to come out as slick spikes from the back of his head. He wore a long, black robe with a v neck line and shadows running down his arms, obscuring his body like a shadow.

He wasn't that terrifying in appearance, but even from where Cadence stood, she could feel the fear that he radiated.

"The big four," He continued. "All in one place. I'm a little starstruck." His chuckle echoed. "Did you like my show on the Globe, North? It got you all together didn't it?"

"Pitch!" Tooth yelled. "You've got thirty seconds to return my fairies!"

"Or what?" Pitch's voice boomed as he darted back into the shadows. Tooth followed the echo and found him near one of her tooth columns. "You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?" He mocked before disappearing again.

"Why are you doing this?" North asked, pointing his swords threateningly at Pitch.

Woth the speed and effortlessness of a shadow, Pitch had moved to the other side of the palace. He slowed traveled to the center of the chamber.

"Maybe I want what you have," He said. "To be believed in. maybe I'm tired of hiding under beds."

"Maybe that's where you belong." Bunny retorted.

"Oh, go suck an egg, rabbit," Pitch replied.

Pitch had reappeared under the platform that the Guardians were on, across from Jack and Cadence's platform, but then he moved away.

"Hang on, is that Jack Frost?" Pitch asked, laughing. "Since when are you all so chummy?"

"We're not," Jack growled. He stood in front of Cadence in a protective position, but Cadence stood in a fighting stance.

"Oh good," Pitch told him. Jack and Cadence turned to find Pitch standing nearby. "A neutral party. Then I'm just going to ignore you. But you must be used to that by now." Then Pitch's eyes fell upon Cadence. At first he gave a confused look, but then smiled and disappeared.

"And who is this charming creature?" Pitch's voice echoed and bounced around the chamber. "I've never seen a spirit like her before."

"I'm not a spirit." Cadence said defiantly. Jack had turned around to face her, but then looked to see Pitch sneaking up behind her. Cadence felt a hand on her shoulder and then felt herself sinking into the floor.

"Cadence-" Cadence saw Jack yell her name and reach for her before she found herself on another platform. This one overlooked the entire palace. Pitch held on to Cadence with one of his slender arms around her torso, keeping both of her arms clamped to her sides.

"Ah, a human girl. It's very rare to find a teenager believing in the Guardians. Or even Jack Frost." He said as he pinched Cadence's cheek, hard.

Cadence tried to break free from Pitch's grasp, but he was too strong for her. "Let go of me, you creep!"

"Get your hands off her!" Jack yelled and flew up towards Pitch with his staff on full glow.

But Pitch retaliated with a flick of his wrist and a blast of black sand struck Jack, sending him flying backwards into one of the columns.

"Jack!" Cadence shrieked.

Bunny became furious. "Pitch! You shadow-sneaking ratbag! Come here!"

Bunny was about to leap after him, but Pitch disappeared and reappeared elsewhere once again, releasing Cadence from his grasp. Tooth was the first to spot Pitch. She took one of Bunny's boomerangs and then flew at Pitch in a rage. "Ahhhhhh!"

Before Tooth could reach him, Pitch sent a huge Nightmare toward her. Tooth shrank back and Baby Tooth took cover in Cadence's jacket.

"Whoa!" Pitch said to the Nightmare. "Easy girl, easy." He twirled his fingers through the Nightmare's mane. He held some of the black sand in his hand and then turned to Sandy. "Look familiar, Sandman. Took me a while to perfect this little trick. Turning dreams into Nightmares."

Everyone gasped, causing Pitch's Nightmare to buck and snort in a frenzy.

Pitch chuckled. "Don't be nervous, it only riles them up. They can smell fear."

"What fear?" Bunny sneered. "Of _you_? No one's been afraid of you since the Dark Ages."

Pitch's eyes flashed for just a moment and Cadenceshould see that Pitch lived to scare others. But then Pitch managed a smile. "The Dark Ages," He said as he began to reminisce. "Everyone frightened. Miserable. Such happy times for me. Oh, the power I yielded."

But then he glared at the Guardians before continuing, "But then you showed up! With all of your wonder and light! Lifting their hearts and giving them hope! Meanwhile, everyone wrote me off as a bad dream. 'Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. There's no such thing as the Boogeyman.' Well, that's all about to change."

A cracking sound filled the air. "Oh look," Pitch clapped his hands together. "It's already happening."

Cadence gasped as the column that Pitch left her on began to shift and crumble. Cracks split all around her as the once beautiful column began fall into the foggy abyss.

Cadence closed her eyes, ready for death, but was caught before the Guardians could lose sight of her. Jack was able to catch her and carried her bridal style, bringing her back to the other Guardians.

"What just happened?" Cadence asked with a shaky voice.

"They-They don't believe in me anymore." Tooth was on the verge of tears.

"Yes." Pitch laughed in delight. "Children are waking up and realizing the Tooth Fairy never came. Such a little thing, but to a child. . ."

Jack and Cadence glanced at each other, exchanging confused looks.

"Didn't they tell you?" Pitch directed his attention towards Jack and Cadence. "It's great being a Guardian, but there's a catch. If enough kids stop believing, all their palaces and powers go away. And little by little, so do they."

Cadence covered her mouth in shock and Jack gasped.

Pitch nodded. "That's right! No more Christmas or Easter or little fairies that come in the night. There will be nothing but fear and darkness and me! It's your turn not to be believed in!"

Bunny threw his boomerangs with all of his anger behind them. But Pitch escaped, flying through the palace on the back of his huge Nightmare. The Guardians gave chase with Jack and Cadence bringing up the rear.

Using eggs that we're bombs, Bunny tried to slow Pitch down, but the eggsexploded in empty space.

"He's gone," North sighed, staring at the place where Pitch had disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone was furious.

Tooth sat down in sorrow. She held an empty tooth box in her hand while Baby Tooth sat on a broken tooth box beside her.

Bunny told North, "Okay, all right, I admit it. You were right about Pitch."

"This is one time I wish I was wrong," North replied. "But he will pay."

"I'm sorry about your fairies." Jack said to Tooth.

Tooth sighed. "You should have seen them. They put up such a fight."

"Why would Pitch take the teeth?" Cadence asked.

"It's not the teeth he wanted," Tooth explained. "It's the memories inside them."

"What?" Cadence gave a quizzical look and Jack's interest increased.

Tooth got up and led the two teens across the lagoon where a mural was painted on the cliff wall. It was Tooth surrounded by children who were giving her their teeth. The water under Jack's feet hardened with each step, allowing Cadence to follow them.

"That's why we collect the teeth. They hold the most important memories of childhood." Tooth narrated. "My fairies and I watch over them, and when someone needs to remember what's important, we help them. We had everyone's," Tooth looked at both Jack and Cadence, "Yours too."

"My memories?" Jack asked as if he were in shock.

"From when you were young," Tooth answered. "Before you became Jack Frost."

Jack shook his head. "But I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost."

"Of course you were. We were all someone before we were chosen."

North entered the conversation. "You should have seen Bunny." He chuckled.

"I told you to never mention that!" Bunny scolded.

Jack was struggling with this new information. "That night at the Pond. . . I just. . . why, I assumed. Are you saying I had a life before that? With a home? And a family?!"

"You really don't remember?" Tooth asked.

"He really doesn't." Cadence said.

Jack's face was blank. "All these years, and the answers were right here. If I find my memories, then I'll know why I'm here." Jack was ready to fly up. "You have to show me!"

Cadence knocked on Jack's head, as if she were knocking on a door. "She can't, genius! Pitch took the teeth!"

"Then we have to get them back!" Jack rubbed his head from where Cadence knocked on it.

Everyone turned back to the mural as it began to disintegrate. "Oh no!" Tooth cried. "We're losing them! We're too late!"

"NO!" North boomed. "No such thing as too late! I have an idea! WE will collect the teeth!"

"What?" Tooth asked.

"We get teeth! Children keep believing in you!" North declared.

"We're talking seven continents, millions of kids-" Tooth was about to panic before North interrupted her.

"Give me a break!" North chuckled. "You know how many toys I deliver in one night?"

"And eggs I hide in one day?" Bunny added.

North turned to Jack. "And, Jack, if you help us, we will get your memories."

Jack looked at the other Guardians, who assured North's words with smiles, before looking at Cadence.

Cadence nodded her head and Jack smiled at North.

* * *

><p>In Shanghai, China, North shot out of a chimney and raced across the rooftop. "Quickly! Quickly!" He shouted as Bunny popped up a roof away.<p>

"Here we go, here we go," Bunny chanted.

Jack zipped past Bunny with Cadence holding on to him. "Hop to it, rabbit!" Jack laughed. "I'm five teeth ahead!"

"Yeah, right," Bunny replied. "Look, I'd tell you to stay out of my way, but, really, what's the point? Because you won't be able to keep up anyway!"

"Is that a challenge, cottontail?" Jack asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, you don't want to race a rabbit, mate." Bunny returned the smirk.

"Guys, this is about Tooth! It's not a race-" Cadence tried to yell over the wind, but was overheard by North on his sleigh.

"A race?" North asked Jack and Bunny. "This is going to be epic!"

"Why do I bother using logic against you when I know you'll never listen?" Cadence asked Jack.

"I thought you'd have learned by now!" Jack laughed.

Tooth darted around with Baby Tooth struggling to keep up. "Four bicuspids over there!" She pointed left. "An incisor, two blocks east! Is that a molar? THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!" Tooth was so overwhelmed by the sensing of her tooth-finding abilities, she didn't see a billboard until she flew right into it. "Ow."

Jack and Cadence leaped on top of the billboard to check on her. "You okay?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine." Tooth rubbed her head. "It's been a long time since I've been out in the field."

"How long is a long time?" Cadence asked.

"Four hundred and forty years." Tooth smiled. "Give or take."

Before they could respond, Tooth noticed a tiny glow under the pillow of a little girl in a nearby room. And without another word, Tooth rushed off.

* * *

><p>Inside a dimly lit bedroom, Jack was about to snag a tooth when Bunny popped out of a hole in the floor and grabbed it, laughing in Jack's face. Jack gave an annoyed look before blasting Bunny with some ice from his staff.<p>

"Ah!" Bunny cried as he was hit.

On the outside of the room, on the fire escape, Cadence held their bag of teeth open for the new tooth.

"What was that noise?" Cadence asked.

"Nothing important." Jack replied with a satisfied grin.

* * *

><p>In the next city, North stood by a boy's bed. "Piece of pie!" He said softly. But as he reached forward, he fell into a hole that Bunny was trying to get out of.<p>

While North and Bunny tried to free themselves, Cadence slipped in and stole the tooth from under the pillow and left a quarter in its place. She glanced at the two before bursting into laughter and climbed back out the window.

"Oui! Cadence, that's my tooth!" Bunny whisper-yelled at her, but she was already on her way with Jack to the next tooth.

* * *

><p>Tooth reached under a child's pillow and pulled out a tooth. The tooth was perfect, but a mouse had already tried to claim it. Baby Tooth tackled the mouse and started beating it up, when Tooth was able to pull her back.<p>

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tooth calmed the fairy. "Take it easy, champ. He's one of us. Part of the European division." She then turned to the mouse and asked if he was okay in French, "_Ça va?_"

The mouse began to squeak angrily and threw his hat down in a rage.

* * *

><p>Bunny had snagged another tooth. But when he reached the roof, he heard a crackling sound of ice and frost. "Crikey!" Bunny slipped and tumbled off the roof, passing Jack and Cadence, who had grabbed the tooth from Bunny at the last minute.<p>

"Yes!" Jack high-fived Cadence, but Sandy snuck up behind them, grabbing the tooth from Cadence's hand. "No!"

* * *

><p>Everyone met up on a rooftop in New York City. The competition had been good fun, and they all held large sacks filled with teeth.<p>

"Wow!" Tooth was impressed. "You all collect teeth and leave gifts as fast as my fairies."

The other Guardians blinked at the word '_gifts_'.

While Cadence was trying to hold in fits of laughter, Tooth surveyed their panicked expressions. "You guys have been leaving gifts, right?"

While the male Guardians were too embarrassed to reply, Cadence let loose on her laughing and had began snorting with each breath intake. "Epic fail on that one, guys!"

* * *

><p>A few moments later, the Guardians were standing in line at a coin dispenser in a laundromat. They each took a turn stuffing wrinkled bills into the slot, changing cash into coins.<p>

Sandman was the first one outside. He was about to fly off, when he spotted Cadence leaning against the outside wall of the laundromat. She was clutching Jack's staff, since he needed to get money from the machine, and she was the only one Jack actually trusted enough to keep his staff safe. But she also looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

Sandy shook her awake, and she was a little dazed as she came back to reality. "Huh? What?. . . Oh, (_yawn_) hey, Sandy."

Sandy made images above his head, indicating his concern for Cadence's well being.

"Oh, no. I've actually been tired for the past few weeks. I haven't been able to sleep so much since school started again." She replied.

Sandy thought for a second and a sand-lightbulb illuminated above his head. He brought out a small box (the size of a ring box) with a clasp on the front. He opened the empty box and then let a handful of dream-sand seep into the box. Once the box was full, the box flipped shut and the clasp locked.

Sandy handed the box to Cadence with a smile.

"Wow, thanks Sandy!" Cadence returned his smile. She placed the box with the pocket of her parka and zipped it closed, so that it wouldn't fall out.

Jack then came out of the building and came over to Cadence as Sandy took off. "Ready to go?" Cadence asked.

"First, I want to give you something." Jack said. He reached into his hoodie pocket and brought out a necklace box. When he opened it, it revealed a velvet choker necklace with a vividly purple snowflake pendant. It actually sparkled with real blue magic. "Since I missed your birthday a few weeks ago, I spent days making this. I was going to give it to you the day I got back, but we had some complications."

Cadence took the necklace and clasped it around her neck, showing it had a perfect fit. "I love it! Thanks, Jack!" Cadence hugged Jack, who excitedly hugged back.

"What's going on here?" Bunny's voice startled the two teens apart from their hug.

"Nothing!" Jack's voice cracked.

* * *

><p>When the Guardians and Cadence were back in the sleigh, they failed to notice a Nightmare spy watching as they lifted off into the sky. The Nightmare then vaporized down a street drain, slipping into the sewer.<p>

* * *

><p>Pitch was inside his darkened lair, standing near a light-covered Globe, exactly like one in North's Workshop. Hanging on the walls around his head were the stolen fairies in cages, staring out at the Globe.<p>

Pitch poked his finger at the Globe. He turned to the Nightmare spy that was slithering into the room. "Why aren't the lights going out?" Pitch asked the Nightmare.

The Nightmare let out a soft whine.

"THEY'RE COLLECTING THE TEETH?!" Pitch's voice boomed.

The Mini Fairies began twittering at the news. Their hopeful, tiny, voices echoed throughout the lair.

"Oh, pipe down! Or I'll stuff a pillow with you!" Pitch took a deep breath. He turned back to the Nightmare. "And what of the girl, Cadence?"

The Nightmare snorted in reply.

"Ah! So Jack has a thing for this little creature? I can use that!" Pitch chuckled. He turned back to the Globe and formed an image of Sandy in nightmare sand. "And as for the other Guardians, they can have their last hurrah. For tomorrow, all of their pathetic scrambling will be for nothing."

Pitch crushed Sandy's image with his fist.


	5. Chapter 5

Cadence waited on the roof of Jamie Bennet's house. Tooth and Jack were currently in the boy's room, getting the tooth.

'_It __sure is taking longer than usual to get one stinking tooth!_' Cadence growled in her mind. She let her legs hang over the side of the roof tiles and was swinging her legs like a little kid would.

Cadence reached a gloved hand up to the snowflake charm. She had gotten gifts before, but this had more meaning to it. Jack spent days making it, surely that must mean something more than "friends"! Right?

'_No, don't read too much into it!_' Cadence told herself. Everyone knows that's the quickest way to ruin a friendship.

"YEEEEHAAAAAW!" Cadence heard North shout. She looked over the edge of the house and saw a small flashlight shining through Jamie's window.

"Aaand the kid is awake. Nice stealth skills, guys." Cadence said.

Cadence tried to listen in on what they were telling the boy, but she couldn't make anything out. She heard a dog growling, an alarm clock, and she heard complete chaos erupted inside the boy's room. Light danced outside the window, and she saw a ball of dream sand bounce off the window.

Suddenly, a black form dashed across the street. It took the form of a black horse.

A Nightmare.

"What in the world?" Cadence jumped down onto a tree branch and slid down the tree trunk until she hit the ground.

The Nightmare galloped around the corner. Cadence looked back at the window. Everything was calm and silent. Things had probably gotten under control.

With an unknown source of courage, Cadence dashed off after the Nightmare. Luckily, North had given her a weapon when they climbed back into the sleigh. Connected to her belt, was a sheathed Spartan Lakonian Short sword. A leaf-shaped blade that was light enough for her grip and it was perfect for her body length.

She unsheathed it. The blade reflected the moonlight, giving it an eerie glow. Cadence watched as the Nightmare trotted down the block of another neighborhood, but it was picking up speed. She had to run to keep up with it.

As she followed the black horse, she couldn't help but feel that something was off. As she took one final turn, she skidded to a stop. The Nightmare had led her to an alley with a dead-end. There were only a few crates and a toppled trash can. The tall apartment complex obscured the moonlight, leaving the limited source of light from her sword to give Cadence a lit path.

_MRROOWWW!_

A cat scared Cadence into slashing a box in half. The cat hissed at her before running out of the alleyway.

"I'd better get back to the others." Cadence said aloud. She turned, but saw that her exit way was blocked. Three large Nightmares stood guard against the alleyway.

"Leaving so soon?" A voice came from behind. Pitch emerged from the darkness.

Cadence pointed her sword at him in a defensive position. She knew she wasn't scared, she was angry. "Shouldn't you be terrorizing some new newborn infants?" Cadence spat.

"I like a girl with spirit. They're so much fun to break." Pitch melted back into the shadows. He appeared behind Cadence, grabbing her wrist.

"Let go of me!" She demanded. Pitch's black sand began to creep along her arm. It was like acid on her skin.

Out of nowhere, a golden sand whip wrapped around the nightmare sand, making it become more golden dream sand. Sandy stood on top of the brick wall, with a furious look on his face. With a yank, he pulled Cadence onto the roof.

"Thanks, Sandy." Cadence said.

Jack flew down next to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Cadence said.

Sandy blasted Pitch with a huge wave of dream sand, sending him back into the street. Sandy flew down there, with Jack and Cadence by his side.

Pitch shook off the blast. "Okay, easy. You can't blame me for trying, Sandy. you don't know what it's like to be weak and hated." Pitch stood up straight, but shielded his face. "It was stupid of me to mess with your dreams. So, I'll tell you what: You can have 'em back." Pitch sneered.

Before they could react, hundreds of Nightmares filled the streets and stood on the surrounding rooftops.

Jack turned to Sandy. "You take the ones on the left and we'll take the ones on the right?"

Pitch rose from the ground, riding his largest Nightmare, Onyx. "Boo!" Pitch gestured for the attack. The Nightmares charged from all directions. Sandy, Jack, and Cadence were back-to-back-to-back, searching for an escape.

Suddenly the sound of sleigh bells and reindeer hooves filled the air. North's sleigh zoomed overhead, buzzing past Pitch and his Nightmares. Bunny jumped onto the back of the sleigh and gathered his boomerangs for battle.

Sandy flung dream sand at the Nightmares. Jack used his staff to freeze the Nightmares and Cadence slashed them with her sword. When a hoard of Nightmares began to close in, Jack grabbed Cadence and hauled them onto the wing of the sleigh.

"You might want to duck," Bunny told them as he flung his boomerang at one of the Nightmares.

Sandy stood on his own dream sand cloud as he battled a legion of Nightmares surrounding him. "We gotta help Sandy!" Cadence pointed from the sleigh.

North directed the sleigh towards Sandy, but more Nightmares surrounded the sleigh, keeping the other Guardians from their friend.

Pitch formed an arrow out of his sand and aimed it at Sandy. He pulled back and fired. The arrow hit Sandy between the shoulders.

"NOOO!" Jack yelled. He leaped out of the sleigh and flewfull speed toward Sandy.

"Jack!" Cadence called after him.

Sandy's golden form was becoming more and more dark. His sand was evaporating.

"I'd say '_sweet dreams_', but there aren't any left." Pitch smirked.

Sandy, with his last remaining strength, stood up to his full height. He accepted his defeat, and within seconds, he was gone.

Jack, in a fit of rage, charged at Pitch.

"Jack, no!" Cadence yelled. More and more Nightmares came at her, attracted to the fear she felt for Jack. She slashed each one, but more and more were appearing too quickly.

She didn't see what happened next, but the next thing she saw was ice and nightmare sand falling to the earth and Jack falling with it. Luckily, Tooth was able to catch Jack. She brought him back to the sleigh.

"Jack, how did you do that?" Tooth asked.

"I-I didn't know I could." Jack replied groggily.

* * *

><p>When they arrived back at the North Pole, everyone was heartbroken.<p>

The sleigh landed roughly. Tooth flew out and sat at the edge of the cliff, Jack squatted down on a snowbank, and Bunny angrily kicked things around before turning his anger out of Jack.

"What were you bloody thinking, Jack!?" He yelled, "Trying to take on Pitch without us!"

"Keep it together, Bunny." North told Bunny.

"KEEP IT TOGETHER?!" Bunny fumed. "Sandy's gone! He's gone! Pitch is picking us off one by one, and you want me to keep it together?!"

"Bunny's right." Tooth said. "Pitch's plan is actually working."

"But we have something that Pitch did not count on." North said. He put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"I don't even know what I did." Jack admitted.

"What you did was save allow us!" Tooth flew to his side.

"Not all of us." Bunny grumbled.

Cadence had finally had enough. "It's not his fault Bunny!" He marched straight up to him. "Jack did his best! What were doing to help Sandy?!"

"Cadence-" Tooth started, but Cadence held up her hand.

"Jack did everything he could. And besides," Cadence unzipped her jacket and brought out the box. "Not ALL of Sandy is gone." She opened the box and showed everyone the dreams and that Sandy gave her.

"How. . .?" Bunny asked.

"I told Sandy how I haven't been able to sleep so well for the last few days, so he gave me some of his sand." She said.

North came up and patted Cadence on the back. "Thank you, Cadence." She let North take the box from her hand. "Now come, we must begin the ceremony."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry, I've been unable to upload because of family.**

* * *

><p>Cadence and Jack didn't participate in the ceremony.<p>

Even though it only lasted a few moments, it felt like an eternity. The elve's bells rang out sadly as the yetis lit torches. Cadence watched from a distance. She could see that the Guardians themselves were in the verge of tears, but they didn't let a single one shred.

Cadence walked back over to Jack who was sitting near the window. He tapped the window and a frosted image of Sandy spread across the glass.

"You okay?" Cadence sat with her legs pulled to her chest.

"I just wish I could've done something." Jack sighed.

"Done something?!" Cadence cracked a smile. "Jack, you saved us! You blasted Pitch out of the sky!" She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You saved us."

"But Sandy-"

"Would be proud of what you did." North came over to join the conversation. Jack nodded, letting a cold breath slip out.

"I don't know what you were in your past life, but in this life, you are a Guardian." North put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"But how can I know who I am until I know who I was?" Jack asked.

"Time will tell, Jack. You can count on that." Cadence said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Everyone was watching the lights on the Globe.<p>

"They're going out so fast." Tooth breathed out.

"It's fear." Cadence said, with a touch of anger in her voice. "He's tipped the balance."

"Hey, buck up, ya sad sacks!" Bunny sure was cheerful so quickly after Sandy's death. "Easter's tomorrow! And I'll need your help to get everything ready!" Everyone was lead to the elevator that led back into the toy factory.

"Bunny is right." North admitted. "And as much as it pains me to say it, this time, Easter _is_ more important than Christmas!"

Bunny gave a look of shock. "Did everyone hear that?" Cadence guessed that Bunny and North had an on-going rivalry with their holidays.

"Everyone to the sleigh!" North shouted. Two yetis and a few elves had joined the group. One of the yetis was Phil, the yeti that was glaring at Jack.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bunny stopped everyone. "My Warren, my rules. Buckle up."

With a heavy tap on the floor, Bunny opened ups huge hole in the floor and the entire group fell inside.

"Shostakovich!" North shouted.

* * *

><p>Cadence was able to catch herself enough to stick the landing, as were Jack and Tooth. North and the yetis landed hard on their butts.<p>

"Buckle up." He chuckled. "That's very funny."

Bunny stood on a moss covered rock. Below the moss wasn't a rock, but an egg made out of stone; a Sentinel egg!

"Welcome to the Warren." Bunny smiled.

Cadence couldn't believe her eyes. The Warren was beautiful. It was a lush green meadow with rocks and streams and colorful flowers.

Suddenly, Bunny raised his ears and sniffed the air. "Sumthin's up." He said.

As if on cue, a bunch of tiny eggs ran out of a nearby tunnel. North drew is swords, as did Cadence, Jack held tightly onto his staff, and Bunny took out his boomerangs. Everyone heard footsteps nearing the tunnel's entrance. Cadence then saw a tiny shadow, one of a small child.

Bunny gave out a warcry, and charged. Everyone followed suit. But then skidded to a halt, because then Jamie's sister Sophie, came out of the tunnel and stared at the Guardians.

There was an awkward moment of stares, before everyone hid their weapons from Sophie. She laid eyes on one of the elves and began to chase him.

"What is SHE doing HERE?" Bunny said with a little bit of panic.

North felt around in his coat to discover his pocket was empty. "Snow globe?"

"Crikey! Somebody do something!"

The elf that Sophie was chasing had hidden behind Cadence's legs. Sophie had paused to look at Cadence with a curious look, but then screamed in horror and ran to hide behind a pillar.

The Guardians and the yetis looked at Cadence to see her reaction. Surprisingly, she kept a straight face. She noticed that everyone was staring at her. "What?"

"Doesn't that hurt?" Tooth asked.

"Yeah. But you tend to get used to children screaming at you in horror and running away in fear." Cadence said, sarcastically.

"Really?" Bunny asked.

"Heck, no! I'm crying on the inside right now!" Cadence shouted. "Besides when was last you guys actually hung out with kids?"

"We are very busy bringing joy to children," North said. "We don't have time for. . . children." He looked away, embarrassed.

Jack formed a snowflake in his hand. "If one little kid can ruin Easter," Jack said. He blew a little wind behind it, and the flake floated toward Sophie. When she tried to grab it, the snowflake floated just out of reach and it became a game of chase. "Then we're in worse shape than I thought."

The flake landed on Bunny's nose. Some of Jack's magic glittered in front of Bunny's eyes, before Bunny smiled down at Sophie. "You wanna paint some eggs?"

"Okay!" Sophie answered brightly.

"Come on, then!" Bunny let Sophie climb onto his back and he hopped off. Out of nowhere, thousands and thousands of white eggs came running down the path, all of which still needed to be decorated.

"Uh, how much time do we have?" Jack asked.

"About six hours." Cadence answered.

For once, in the past few hours, Jack looked at Cadence. Her bluish-black hair had come out of its braid and it whipped wildly around her face, yet she didn't seem to notice. Her parka was filthy and torn in some places, her jeans and boots were caked with mud. And she was smiling brightly, it was one of the brightest smiles she had ever given Jack.

Jack was snapped out of his stare when he heard Bunny going on about googies.

By then, everyone had started the preparation for Easter. The eggs marched single file into a multicolored stream. One of North's elves stood at the edge of the stream. he couldn't get away fast enough as the eggs rushed towards him, and they all splashed down into the colored stream below to be painted and decorated for their big show at Easter tomorrow. The eggs emerged from the stream, in every color and pattern imaginable. (as did the unlucky elf).

A stray egg egg wandered off the path and ended up in a whirlpool. North fished it out, turning it around in the sunlight. The egg had a weird purple spiral pattern on it.

"Okay," North said. "That's strange."

"No, it's adorable." Cadence took the egg and set it in line with the rest of its friends.

Then she watched as Bunny began to play with Sophie again. "What's over there?" He asked her.

Sophie searched through the grass and found a beautifully decorated pink egg with spirals and glitter. She showed it to Bunny.

"That's a beauty!" Bunny said.

"Pretty!" Sophie agreed.

* * *

><p>Soon all the eggs were ready and gathered at the tunnels, excited for their big moment up top.<p>

"Not bad." Jack said. He and Cadence sat down next to Bunny.

"Not bad, yourselves." Bunny said.

"Hey, I'm sorry for yelling earlier." Cadence said.

"I'm sorry too," Bunny said. Cadence gave him a questionable look.

"For the 'vampire' insult." He answered her look.

Sophie had curled up into Bunny's lap and fell asleep. She was still clutching the little egg that Bunny had given her earlier. "Aww, poor little ankle biter. She's all tuckered out."

"I love her." Tooth said as she flew over. "But I think it's time to get her home."

"We'll take her." Jack said. Cadence stood up with him and took Sophie from Bunny.

"Guys, no!" Tooth said with worry. "Pitch is-"

"No match for this." Jack held up his. "Trust us. We'll be as quick as bunnies."

* * *

><p>Back in Burgess, Cadence laid Sophie down into her bed. But she had an iron grip around Candence's neck.<p>

"A little help, Jack?" Cadence whispered, so that she wouldn't wake anyone up.

"But you're doing great." Jack chuckled. When Sophie finally let go, she rolled over and fell on the floor.

"Sophie?" Her mother called from the hallway. "Is that you?"

In a panic, Cadence threw a blanket over Sophie and rushed out the window with Jack.

"We should go." Jack smiled.

"Yeah." Cadence agreed.

Suddenly Jack perked up and looked to the forest behind James's house. "Did you hear that?" He asked.

Cadence listened. "I don't hear anything. What did you-"

Jack yanked Cadence and sped off into the forest. "Jack! What are you doing!?" Cadence tried to fight against Jack's grip. But he ignored her as he tried to follow a sound that only he could hear. Jack sprinted through the trees until they both reached a small clearing.

In the center of the clearing, was a wooden bed. It was rotted and broken. Jack walked up to the bed as if he was in a trance.

"Jack, I don't think we should be here." Cadence followed him and glared at the rotting bed as if it were evil.

"Don't worry, there's still time." Jack replied. He began whacking the bed with the butt of his staff until the planks fell off, revealing a deep, dark hole in the ground.

Jack looked at Cadence. She shook her head no, but Jack jumped in anyway. "Ugh!" Cadence grunted. "The things I do for this guy." And with that, she jumped in after him.

* * *

><p>The two friends followed a series of tunnels. Jack led the way, following the sound and lighting the way with his glowing staff. But every step of the way, Cadence kept ushering Jack for them to return to the surface.<p>

"Cadence, come on! I just what to find out where that sound is coming from!" Jack kept going through the dark tunnels.

"What sound!? Jack, I don't hear anything! And my hearing is better than yours!" Cadence shouted.

As they ventured further, they came to an opening with very dim lighting. Once their eyes were able to adjust, they gasped at the sight.

Tooth's Mini Fairies were trapped in tiny cages that hung from the ceiling. Along the walls and in mountanious piles on the floor, tooth boxes were stacked like pirate treasure.

They'd found Pitch's lair.

"Shh!" Jack tried shushing the fairies who had begun to chirp loudly. "Keep it down!" He flew up to one of the cages, while Cadence took charge of the lowest hanging ones.

"We're gonna get you out of here. Jack, help me with-" Cadence looked up to see Jack had dove into a pile of tooth boxes. "Ugh!" Cadence face palmed herself. She began working on one of the locking mechanisms of a low-hanging cage.

The room had began to darken. The chirping of the Mini Fairies increased. In the cage that Cadence was working on, one of the fairies reached through the bars and tugged at Cadence's hair to get her attention.

"What?" Cadence asked the little fairy. The fairy pointed behind Cadence frantically. As Cadence turned, a wave of Nightmare sand swept over her.

"Ja-" Cadence's voice was muffled as the Nightmare sand overwhelmed her.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't see. But she could feel. Her skin burned and it felt like she was on fire! She struggled against the ever-shifting ebony sand. But it was over within seconds. The sand clamped around both of her wrists and brought them together, tying them behind her back. Her legs and ankles were also tied together.

She needed to breathe. When she felt like she was going to pass out, the sand shifted underneath, lifting her up to fresh air. She took in huge gulps of air.

"I'm not afraid of you." Jack's voice echoed throughout the lair.

"Oh, but you are afraid of something." Pitch cackled with laughter.

Cadence searched around for them, finding them traveling around through shadows and stairways. Jack was following Pitch, who was moving through the lair with ease.

"Your greatest fear is that Cadence will stop believing in you." Pitch smirked. Jack, who was on a bridge, looked stunned. Was that really what he was afraid of?

"Jack, I won't sto-" Nightmare sand formed around Cadence's mouth, making her words useless. She could only watch as Pitch tried to distract Jack.

Jack began searching for a way out. The shadows in a hallway surrounded him and what he thought was a wall, was actually the floor.

"You're afraid of losing the only person who has ever been able to see you. The only person you could turn to." Pitch continued to torture Jack.

"That'll never happen!" Jack shouted.

"Even if she does keep believing in you, she won't last forever." Pitch sneered.

"What are you talking about?" Jack held his staff in front, ready to blast anything that came near him.

"Are you really that ignorant, boy?" Pitch laughed. "She is mortal. She will die eventually. Not everyone is immortal. And you will be all alone, again. And you'll keep wondering: Why you? Why were you chosen to be like this?"

Jack eventually found himself cornered. Pitch appeared in front of him, cutting off all chances of escape. "Well, fear not," Pitch continued. "For the answer to that is right here." Pitch held out a tooth box with the name "Jack Frost" written on it. "Take them, if you want them." Pitch taunted.

Jack's hand involuntarily reached out to grab them, but he pulled back at the last second. "No."

With a chuckle, Pitch moved back to the main area of the cavernous lair. "Everything you you wanted to know is in this little box. Why did you end up like this? Unseen. Unable to reach out to anyone. You want the answers so badly. You want to grab them and fly off with them, but you're of what the Guardians will think. You're afraid of what Cadence will think."

'_Don't listen to him! Jack, don't give in!_' Cadence pleaded within her mind.

Jack followed Pitch's voice down to the center of the room. He backed up some stairs that led to a Globe similar to North's. Panic surged through Jack. Cadence couldn't move. The sand held her in place, as if she were frozen solid.

"You're afraid of disappointing everyone." Pitch's shadows surrounded Jack. "Well, let me ease your mind about one thing: They'll never accept you. Not really."

Jack covererd his head with his hands, trying to block out Pitch's voice. "Stop it! Stop it!"

"After all, you're not one of them." Pitch, himself, finally appeared. Standing right before Jack, he had an eerie smirk on his face.

"You don't know what I am!" Jack took aim at Pitch with his staff.

Pitch laughed. "Of course I do! You're Jack Frost. You make a mess wherever you go. Why, you're doing it right now." Pitch tossed Jack's tooth box into the air.

Jack instinctively caught it. His expression turned horrified. "What did you do?"

Pitch smiled. "More to the point, Jack, what did _you _do?"

With an echoing laugh, Pitch moved back into the shadows. Jack, filled with anger, lunged, but he wrapped his arms around nothing but air. An instant later, Jack was swallowed into one of Pitch's blackest holes.

* * *

><p>Jack landed in an egg tunnel. For a moment he was confused, but then he realized that something. . . someone was missing.<p>

"Cadence!" Jack cried out. When he tried to go back, he ran into a dead-end. "No!"

He then looked at his surroundings. Hs fingers tightened around his tooth box in fear of what he saw.

Thousands of colored eggs were smashed into rubble.

Pitch had destroyed Easter.

* * *

><p>When Jack disappeared into the darkness, the Nightmare sand released Cadence. She immediately stood up and tried to find Pitch.<p>

"Now it's your turn to face your fear." Pitch cackled.

"I don't have any fears." Cadence said, defiantly.

"Of course you have a fear. And this one is quite hilarious." Pitch appeared above her, hanging upside down on the ceiling.

"Well, you're going to have to explain, because I don't know what you're talking about." Cadence folded her arms over her chest.

"It's so obvious, yet you don't even know it. You've been exposing you're fear to me," Pitch disappeared again. "And during the fight, it only confirmed my suspicions."

"You mean the fight where you killed Sandy!" Cadence growled. Instead of feeling fear, she felt anger.

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Pitch's voice roared throughout the chasm. He appeared on the other side of the room. "You're afraid of losing Jack. Afraid of losing the only friend you've ever had." He disappeared and reappeared on a higher platform. "But mostly, you're afraid of Jack rejecting your feelings for him."

"I don't have feelings for Jack. And he doesn't have feelings for me!" Cadence shouted.

"Then what is this?" Pitch came from behind and yanked Cadence's snowflake choker off her neck.

"Give it back!" Cadence demanded. She tried reaching for it, but Pitch held her at bay.

"Now that proves something!" Pitch laughed.

"Oh, and you're not afraid of anything?" Cadence raised an eyebrow.

Pitch gave her a quizzical look. "What are you implying? I'm the King of Nightmares. What couldyou possibly know about me?"

"I know people like you. You're nothing but a parasite. You feed upon a host until their nothing left. You crave power." Cadence felt braver with each word. "But your greed and envy will always get in your way of victory. Face it. You're not even a real king. You're just a man who's been clawing for power his entire li-"

_SLAP!_

The back of Pitch's handmade hard contact with Cadence's face. The force was enough to cause Cadence to stumble backwards and fall onto her side. But she hadn't realized what happened until after it occurred.

Heat radiated from a mark that Pitch's hand had left on her cheek. It was clearly visible against her snow white skin. The force also caused her eyes to form teardrops to form in the corners.

"I suggest you show a little more respect to your captor." Pitch hissed.

"Respect and fear are two different things." Cadence said with a shaking voice. "And I won't give you either of them!" She sat up and found Pitch standing right in front of her.

"I'll just have to make you see things my way then." Pitch spat.

He snapped his fingers and another wave of Nightmare sand engulfed Cadence, causing her to drift into unconsciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: Okay, I know that in my other fanfics I sent out a message saying that I'm going on (shudders) hiatus.**

**You: That's bad.**

**Me: But I have to finish this fanfic. **

**You: That's good!**

**Me: As soon as this is done, my hiatus will officially begin. **

**You: That's bad. **

**Me: I'll make a sequel to this.**

**You: That's good! **

**Me: But it won't be for a while.**

**You: Can we start reading now?**

**Sorry. :(**

**Also, some blood. Okay, a lot of blood. You've been warned.**

**Also, a MAJOR Divergent bomb is going to be dropped! You've been warned. **

**Again.**

* * *

><p><em>Cadence floated in eerie darkness. <em>

_She couldn't tell up from down. _

_But slowly, she felt herself being set down onto a floor. The darkness melted away and she saw nothing but white. _

_It was an endless void of white. She heard nothing, felt nothing. It was just a bleached scenery. _

_She didn't know why, but she just started walking forward. It seemed useless but she didn't know what else to do. _

_Drip, drip, drip, drip..._

_She heard something drip. Her hands became warm and she smelled a coppery scent. The smell became stronger as her hands became warmer and it felt like thick, gushing water was running down over her body. _

_Looking down at herself, she was horrfied by what she saw._

_Cadence was covered in blood! _

_And it kept coming. The floor around her became a puddle, growing and expanding into a crimson pool. _

_Cadence was a hemophobic. Blood disgusted her. _

_She began to panic and stumbled around. She hit a wall and tried to search for a way around it. She hit another wall and began to panic even more! It wasn't until the blood had reached to her knees when she realized she was trapped in a glass container. The blood came out from some invisible source. _

_The blood came up to her waste. She felt bile rising from her stomach and into her throat. The smell was unbearable. __Cadence began banging against the walls and screaming. Well, she tried screaming. When she opened her mouth, nothing came out. _

_The blood was now up to Cadence's chest. Her head hit a ceiling, which the blood was carrying her up to. __Now it was at her neck._

_Drowning in a box of blood. That has got to be the worst way to go! _

_No more! No more room! No more oxygen!_

_Cadence tried holding in her breath, but her lungs wouldn't obey her. She kept getting blood in her with deep breaths. _

_Wait. . . She was breathing? __Cadence took in deliberate breaths._

_Yes, she was able to breathe normally. She was actually swimming in the blood as if it was only water. __She tried touching the wall. It cracked like glass. Cadence was majorly confused. _

_"This isn't real." Her voice finally worked. She touched the glass again and it shattered, releasing allof the crimson blood. _

* * *

><p>Cadence shot up. She was sweating like a pig. The room was dark, so dark. Cadence made sure her eyes were open, fearing she had gone blind. She couldn't see her hand, even though it was literally an inch from her face.<p>

"How did you do that?" Pitch's voice came out from behind her. He was quite easy to be seen. Darkness parted to let him through, letting him make his way towards Cadence. He had a confused, yet angered scowl on his face.

"Do what?" Cadence asked in confusion.

"How did you know it wasn't real?" He barked.

"I-I don't know. I just knew." She stammered. Pitch looked at her. He walked around her, inspecting her. Cadence tried to turn around, but something was holding her in place.

"Do you know how long you were unconscious?" Pitch came right into her face.

"I don't know. 3 hours? Half a day?" Cadence guessed.

Pitch smirked. "10 minutes. This only confirms my suspicions."

Before Cadence could ask Pitch what the HECK he was talking about. A soft neigh was heard in the distance.

Pitch's smirk turned into a chuckle. "That's your cue."

"Cue for what?" Cadence asked with a suspicious look.

"To play your part as a hostage." Nightmare sand blasted all over Cadence.

* * *

><p>Pitch had played his cards, and Jack lost all of his bets.<p>

Now Jack stood atop an ice glacier in Antarctica. He kept debating if his memories were really worth going through all of this chaos and sadness.

The Guardians were weak and possibly fading, Pitch is gaining more power by the minute, and Jack got his best friend kidnapped by the Nightmare King.

No! He traded her for his memories. Pitch was distracting him and buying time for his Nightmares to do his dirty work, and in the process, Jack left Cadence behind.

Now the world is doomed, he's all alone, and it's all Jack's fault!

Were they really worth all of this?

In an effort to rid himself of guilt, he tried to throw

his tooth box into the Antarctic Ocean. But he just couldn't. The answers to all of his questions in this little box. He couldn't just throw it away.

But why does he feel so guilty by just holding it?

Pitch's voice came from behind him. "I knew this was coming. You can't blame me Jack. They're the one who abandoned you. But I understand."

In rage, Jack ran down the iceberg and blasted ice at Pitch. "You don't understand ANYTHING!"

Pitch deflected his attacks and returned fire with his own blasts of Nightmare sand. "No? You think I don't know what it feels like to be cast out?! To be hated?!"

"AAAAH!" Jack jumped high into the air and released all of his anger into his final attack. Snow swirled around, creating a thick cloud.

"Too long for a family!" Pitch's voice cut through the cloud. Jack aimed his staff at Pitch defensively, but lowered it at the word "family".

"Don't look so surprised, Jack. I was someone once too, you know." Pitch moved closer. "We don't have to be alone. I believe in you. And I know children will believe in you too."

Jack's attention was hooked. "I-In me?"

"Yes!" Pitch gestured to the white frost and black sand covering the iceberg. "Look at what we an do! What goes together better than cold and dark? We can make them believe in us! We'll give them a world where everything, everything is-"

"Pitch Black?" Jack interrupted Pitch's little monologue.

"And Jack Frost, too." Pitch quickly added. "They'll believe in both of us."

"No, they'll fear both of us. And that's not what I want." Jack turned away and started walking. But then he stopped, "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Pitch asked with a sly smile.

"Where is Cadence?" Jack growled. "What did you with her?"

"Oh. She's right here." Pitch snapped his fingers and Cadence appeared.

But she was on the ground with her arms bound together against her sides with black rope with her elbows bending and slanting behind her back which her wrists were bound with more rope. Her legs were resting on the ground at a slant away from her body with her ankles bound with rope. Her eyes were filled with horror and sadness._  
><em>

"Jack!" Cadence cried as soon as she saw him.

"Cadence!" Jack ran to her, but she disappearred in a puff of black smoke. He looked around and then at Pitch. "LET HER GO!" Jack ran at full speed to tackle Pitch. But Pitch was faster and shifted to the other side of the iceberg. Jack had actually then face planted into the black ice sculpture.

Pitch snapped his fingers again and Cadence appeared by his side. "Give me the staff and I'll set her free."

"Jack, no! Don't listen to h-" Pitch formed a black cloth around Cadence's mouth. Jack was aiming his staff at Pitch. But he wouldn't dare fire at Pitch when he had Cadence under his control.

"Give me the staff!" Pitch demanded. "You have a bad habit of interfering." Jack looked down and gripped his staff tightly.

"Isn't Cadence worth more to you than your stick?" Pitch spat. Jack looked at his staff then at Cadence. She shook her head furiously. Jack knew Cadence would chew him out for this. With a reluctant sigh, Jack handed his staff to Pitch. Pitch happily snatched it from the winter spirit.

"Alright, now let her go." Jack scowled at Pitch.

Pitch calmly twirled the staff in his hand before looking at Jack with an indifferent smile. "No."

Jack's eyes widened at his stupid choice. Cadence could only watch as her best friend, for the past seven years, was now powerless because of her.

In a swift motion, Pitch broke Jack's staff in two.

"Agh!" Jack cried out in pain.

"Jmmph!" Cadence made a noise underneath her gag that sounded like she was shouting for her friend's name in fear.

Pitch then blasted Jack with his Nightmare sand. Jack was blasted into an ice wall before falling down a chasm. Cadence's eyes began to tear. If Cadence could pick any moment to just disappear, it would be this moment.

"Ah young love." Pitch said in a sarcastic voice. "Such a powerful and. . . stupid thing." He threw the pieces of Jack's staff into the chasm. He then turned towards Cadence, who was still bound and gagged in the snow. "Come along, my dear. My plans need further completion."

* * *

><p><strong>And I'm sorry, but I must end this chapter here! Please keep reviewing!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

Cadence had been more dormant since Pitch had dealt with Jack in Antarctica.

Right now, her head hung in defeat. Seeing her best friend blasted into a chasm can really take a number on one's spirit. She still pictured the horrified look on Jack's face. It would forever haunt her memories.

Pitch had already left for the North Pole. Cadence had never felt so helpless. Some how she had fallen asleep. She knew it was a mistake, but she didn't fight it. She guessed that Pitch had put her to sleep to keep her from trying to escape. But she was just too tired to think...

* * *

><p><em>She opened her eyes upon hearing a noise. The Mini Fairies had gone silent. From the darkness, Cadence heard the sound of bare footsteps. <em>

_"Cadence?!" A familiar voice shouted. _

_"Jack!" Cadence shouted back. She crawled up to the bars of her cage. __Jack came out of the inky blackness that surrounded Cadence's prison. _

_"Jack! You're okay!" Cadence cheered. _

_Jack didn't seem to have the same enthusiasm. Instead, he kept an annoyed look with a bit of anger. _

_"Jack, what's wrong?" Jack's look seemed unnerving to Cadence. _

_"You seemed to be happy for someone who's best friend got blasted down a chasm." Jack spat. _

_Cadence was a little stunned. "Jack, there was nothing I could do! Pitch had me-"_

_As fast as lightning, Jack came right up to the bars on Cadence's cage and slammed his fist on them. The speed and ringing sent Cadence backwards in surprise and shock. _

_"If I didn't have feelings for you we wouldn't be in this mess!" Jack shouted in rage. _

_"..." Cadence was baffled and scared beyond words. Jack would never act like this. "Feelings?" _

_"Yes. I've felt pity for you all of these years! You actually thought I could love someone like you?" Jack scolded. _

_Hot tears began to flow down Cadence's cheeks. Suddenly the ground started shaking, rocks and boulders began tumbling down. Before a gigantic rock could even smash Cadence..._

* * *

><p>"Cadence!" Jack was shaking Cadence awake.<p>

"Wha? Jack?" Cadence asked groggily.

Jack let out a breath of relief. "You were screaming my name, what happened-"

_**POW!**_

Cadence punched Jack straight in the face. He stammered back a few feet, trying to regain his senses. "What the hell!?" He shouted.

"I had to make sure you were real!" Cadence shouted.

"Well, I'm real." Jack put a hand to his jaw to make sure it wasn't broken.

"Wait, how are you here?"

Jack smiled and showed off his newly fixed staff. "Let's just say, I found out a lot more about myself that made me happy."

"You looked at your memories?" Cadence smiled. "What happened to you?! Did you have a family?"

"I'll tell you about it later, right now, we need to get to Jamie Bennett's house."

"Why?" Cadence gave a confused look as to why they would need to foot a twelve-year-old's house.

Jack pointed his staff to the Globe at the center the room. All the lights had gone out, except on that was positioned over the state of Pennsylvania.

"Okay, let's go." Cadence said quickly and held onto Jack. "But what about the fairies?"

"They can't fly, not enough kids believe in them. But I left their cages open." Jack flew them out of the Lair at top speed. "Where's Pitch anyway?"

"He went to the North Pole and left me here. But when he sees the light on the globe there's no doubt he'll be heading for Jamie, as well." Cadence replied.

* * *

><p>Jack and Cadence were outside Jamie's bedroom window. Jack opened the window to hear what Jamie was saying to his stuffed rabbit.<p>

"Okay, look, you and I are obviously at what they call a crossroads. So here's what's going to happen: if it wasn't a dream and if you're real, then you have to prove it. Like, right now." Jamie stared at the bunny. When nothing happened, Jamie said, "I believed in you for a long time, okay? Like, my whole life, in fact. So you kinda owe me now." Jamie hugged the rabbit this chest. "You don't have to do much, just a little sign so I know. Anything. Anything at all."

Moments passed in silence before Jamie dropped the toy to the floor. "I knew it." Jamime whispered.

Cadence was pushing Jack and mouthing: _Do something! _Jack's mind raced before he thought of an idea. He slipped into Jamie's room and frosted the window on the inside. Jamie twisted around, hearing the crackling sound of ice on his window. Cadence hid under the window sill hoping she wasn't seen.

Once the window was frosted, Jack drew a rabbit. He concentrated on getting the drawing to hop off the window and around the room.

"Whoa!" Jamie was thrilled as the rabbit leaped into his bedroom and then burst into hundreds of tiny snowflakes above his head.

"Snow?" Jamie asked.

A large snowflake landed on Jamie's nose. The snowflake glittered blue before the magic collected into Jamie's eyes. "Jack Frost?"

Cadence's attention was grabbed when Jamie said Jack's name. She peeked over the window sill looked at the scene.

"He said my name?" Jack blinked before putting on the biggest smile Cadence had ever seen. "He said my name!"

Jamie turned around and his eyes widened even more. "Jack Frost!" He said breathlessly.

"He said my name again!" Jack cheered. When Jamie stared at him he came to a realization. "Wait. C-Can you hear me?"

Jamie nodded with his jaw hanging open.

"And you can see me?"

Jamie nodded again.

"He sees me! He sees me!" Jack leaped around the room in joy and the room exploded with snow.

"You just made it snow!" Jamie exclaimed.

"I know!" Jack let the more exploded with more snow.

"In my room!"

"I know!"

"You're real?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah!" Jack said. "Who do you think brings you all the blizzards and snow days, and remember when you went flying in the sled the other day?"

"That was you?" Jamie's excitement grew.

"That was me!" Jack gushed.

"What about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy?" Jamie asked.

"Real, real, real!" Jack answered. "Everyone of us is real!"

Just then, Jamie's mom called from down the hall. "Jamie? Who are you talking to?"

"Uh, Jack Frost?" Jamie answered cautiously.

"Uh, okay." Jamie's mom laughed.

"Uh, Jack," Cadence said from the window. "You may want to see this." Cadence gestured behind her at the scene below in the street. North's sleigh had landed and the reindeer got loose and made a break for the woods.

Jamie gave her a curious look. "Aren't you the vampire girl I saw a few days ago?"

"I'm not a vampire!" Cadence snapped. She slid down the roof and landed on her feet on the icy ground. She ran towards North and Tooth as Jack flew beside her.

When they noticed the two running toward them, Tooth tried to fly to them, but her wings gave out. "Cadence! You're alright!"

"What are you doing here?" North asked them both.

"Same as you." Jack answered. He motioned to Jamie who had followed Jack and Cadence outside his house. Jamie stared at North and Tooth in awe.

"Jack! He can see you!" North exclaimed.

'_How come no one acted like this when they met me?_' Cadence growled in her head. But then she looked around, searching for a missing member. "Wait, where's Bunny?"

North looked down at the ground. "Losing Easter took its toll on all of us. But Bunny, most of all." North said sadly.

"Oh no," Cadence said under breath.

North stood aside to let a normal-sized bunny hop out of the sleigh.

"_That's_ the Easter Bunny?" Jamie let out a giggle.

"_Now_ somebody sees me! Where were you about an hour ago, mate?" Bunny ranted.

"What happened to him?" Jamie asked. "He used to be so huge and cool, and now he's . . . cute."

Bunny was at the edge of his nerves. "Did you tell him to say that?" He asked Jack. "That's it! Let's go! Me and you! Come on!" Bunny challenged. He took a little fighting stance while kicking Jack's leg.

Cance picked up the little rabbit by the back his neck, like how a mother lion would pick up her cub. "No, Bunny. He got Jamie to believe in you guys, again."

Bunny stopped fighting to get out of Cadence's grip. "He got him to believe in me?"

Suddenly, everyone turned when they heard thunder in the distance. Pitch was standing on a giant cloud of Nightmare sand in the air above them.

"Get Jamie out of here!" Jack ordered.

"You've got a plan, right?" Cadence asked.

"More or less." Jack shrugged before blasting off towards Pitch.

Bunny was dropped out of Cadence's grip and led the way through the neighborhood. Cadence brought out her sword and kept Jamie closer to her. She slashed any Nightmare who dared to come near Jamie while they ran through the town. Bunny had led them into an alleyway, but only to find that it was a dead end.

_THUD_! Jack had fallen onto a dumpster.

"That was a good try, Jack." North said encouragingly.

Jack could only think of one thing. "My staff. Pitch took it."

More thunder cracked at the entrance of the alleyway. Shadows began toCcreep along the walls of the alley. Pitch's voice boomed down. "All this fuss over one little boy. And still he refuses to stop believing. Very well. There are other ways tosnuff out a light." As if to prove his point, Pitch's shadow began breaking the lightbulbs in the alley.

"You want him, you're going to have to go through me!" Bunny threatened, getting in front of the group.

Pitch laughed. "Look how fluffy you are! Would you like a scratch behind the ears?" The shadow of Pitch's hand tried to scratch Bunny, but he jumped back into the safety of North's arms.

"Don't even think about it." Bunny retorted.

Pitch's shadow disappeared and was replaced by the sound of hooves trotting down the alley's pavement. The real Pitch appeared, riding on the biggest Nightmare.

Cadence stood defensively in front of Jamie. Her sword, gleaming in the light of the full moon, held in front of her. She felt no trance of fear. Instead, she felt anger. Anger for the pain of feeling helpless. Anger for when Pitch used her as a hostage against her best friend. Anger, for her hatred for Pitch.

"You are not going to touch him." Cadence growled. Her words, as if she had muttered a spell, caused the Nightmares to back away from her. Her bravery would not let the Nightmares come anywhere near Jamie, who clung to the back of Jack's leg.

"Jack, I'm scared." Jamie confessed in a small voice.

Jack's eyes flashed for a moment before he faced Jamie. "We're gonna have a little fun instead."

Pitch continued to close in on them. "So, what do you think, Jamie? Do you believe in the Boogeyma-"

_SPLAT_!

A snowfall hit Pitch in the face. Jamie laughed as Pitch wiped away the snow. Jack created another snowball in his hand.

"I do believe in you," Jamie said, "I'm just not afraid of you."

Another snowball hit Pitch in the face. With Pitch distracted, the Guardians, Jack and Cadence, and Jamie ran out of the alleyway. Along the way, Jack picked up a few wooden crates, a trash can lid, and a wok.

"Ready for a little more fun?" Jack asked Jamie.

* * *

><p><em>Whoosh!<em>

Jack flew along the street, with Jamie and Cadence by his side. The Guardians followed them on the makeshift sleds Jack had given them.

"Let's go get your friends," Jack told Jamie.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the children and the Guardians were gathered in the middle of town. Pitch stood on a rooftop, churning his Nightmare sand into a giant wave, that was about to crash over the town.<p>

"You think a few children can help you?" Pitch chided the Guardians. "Against this?" And with that, Pitch made the Nightmare sand make it's way towards the group.

Cadence noticed the fear in Jamie's eyes. "Jamie, they're just bad dreams." She assured him.

"And we'll protect you." Bunny added as he, Jack, North, Tooth, and Cadence moved in front of the children, blocking them from the Nightmare sand.

"Aww, you'll protect them." Pitch sneered. "But who will protect you?"

"I will." Jamie volunteered. He stepped forward in front of the Guardians.

One by one, Jamie's friends each volunteered and stepped in front of the Guardians. Then the nightmare sand rushed toward them.

"They're just bad dreams." Jamie reminded his friends. The kids put their hands out as the Nightmare sand barreled into them. But instead of swallowing them and hurting everybody, the black sand turned into golden dreamsand!

"Whoa. . ." Cadence smiled. Every strand of Nightmare sand that the kids touched turned into dreamsand. Soon, the Nightmares were running every which way, trying to get away from the dreamsand. Cadence watched the dreamsand go into the windows of children's bedrooms.

And as if there wasn't enough amazement to be had, North could feel his his power rushing back and Tooth's wings began to flap again, lifting her high up into the sky.

"Okay, my turn!" Tiny Bunny cheered as he expected to regrow. But instead he was chased by a huge Nightmare. "Crikey!" He dove under a car, but the Nightmare caught him by the tail. But when the Nightmare tried to pull Tiny Bunny out from under the car, he was surprised to pull full-size Bunny out instead. "'Ello, mate." Bunny said before taking out his boomerang an slicing the Nightmare in half.

Jack and Cadence were working together to slash and ice oncoming Nightmares. They were soon joined by yetis, elves, and Bunny's giant sentinel eggs.

"Oh, hey Phil." Jack greeted the Yeti next to him. He scanned the scene and saw Pitch on the same rooftop. But Pitch disappeared down the roof to the other side of it. But before Jack went after Pitch, he turned to Cadence. "You stay here."

"Fine." Cadence grumbled.

With a smile, Jack ran off after Pitch with the Guardians in tow. Cadence, who no longer had to fight any Nightmares thanks to the yetis and eggs, joined the kids who were playing in the dreamsand. She watched as the kids turned the dreamsand into their own creations. Cupcake had created a giant unicorn that she rode around the park, laughing her head off in joy.

_DING_! The children's creations gave Cadence an idea. She ran up to a lonely stream of golden dreamsand and thought of one thing.

"Sandy." She said. Cadence took the dreamsand into her hands and concentrated on Sandy's image in her mind. After a few moments, a hand rested on Cadence's shoulder. She opened her eyes to Sandy smiling at her.

"Sandy! You're back!" Cadence smiled brighter than ever.

Sandy smiled in return and brought out a lasso. He swung the loop around and flung toward an alleyway, and pulled back, dragging Pitch along with it. The Guardians ran up and were filled with joy at the return of their old friend.

Sandy then rose above the battle, shooting strands of golden dreamsand in every direction. Nightmares quickly disappeared, leaving behind only happy was so much dreamsand floating around that Sandy turned some into a gigantic brontosaurus. Everyone cheered as Sandy created more creatures out of dreamsand.

Somewhere within those few moments a snowball fight broke out amongst the kids. But before Cadence got into the fun, she spotted something shimmering in Pitch's hand. It was thenecklace he stole from Cadence.

"I'll take that!" Cadence smirked as she yanked it out of Pitch's grasp and put it back around her neck. She looked over to see Jack talking to North with a large smile on his face. She walked up to them. Noh saw her coming and went to join the Guardians were battling the little kids in the snowball fight.

"So, what do we do now?" Cadence asked Jack. She watched the children pelt each other with snowballs. Jack looked at her. Her hair was completely messed up and her gleaming purple eyes flashed with power and pride. His cheeks blushed in twenty shades of red. This was no longer the little girl he found in woods, freezing to death. She was now a brave, beautiful woman.

"Hey, uh, Cadence?" Jack stammered.

"Yes?" She looked at him with large eyes.

"I've been meaning to tell you something." Jack gripped his staff tightly.

"What is it?"

"W-Well, I . . . Uh, I . . ." Jack's mind raced to find the right words. "For the past . . . Uh. . . What I'm trying to tell you is-"

Jack's mind went completely blank when Cadence pulled him into a kiss. She pressed his lips to her's, and it started out as a soft kiss that lingered. Then it was like something in them clicked. They were kissing deeply and hugging closely.

Claude and Caleb came up to throw snowballs at them, but then stopped.

"Ugh!" Claude held his stomach.

"Gross!" Caleb wretched as they both walked away and threw the snowballs on the ground.

Cadence didn't notice. The entire world melted and she felt like she was walking on cloud 9. Jack dropped his staff and hugged Cadence closer to him.

Nothing could ruin this moment.

Until. . .

Cadence gasped when she felt a sharp burning pain in her lower torso. She pulled away from Jack as warm blood gushed out where a dagger had imbedded itself in her stomach. Behind Cadence, Jack could see Pitch smirking, as if he had won some prize. Cadence only had one second to look at Jack before she collapsed in his arms.

"Cadence, no!" Jack pleaded.

Blood seeped out of her wound, turning the snow into an ugly crimson color. The dagger was still inside Cadence's lower back. The metal had sliced through her parka with little effort and dug straight in to her skin. Cadence cried out in pain as she finally felt the effect of the dagger. A searing burn flared up her side, consuming her in agony and making her mind go blank. Jack pulled out the dagger in a swift motion, causing Cadence to whimper in pain. The Guardians had gathered around when they heard Cadence cry out in pain.

"North, do something! please!" Jack was on the verge of tears. His best friend was dying in his arms.

"Quickly, come." North instructed as he brought out a snow globe.

"Cadence, hold on." Jack's words were already echoing in her head.

Cadence could only feel her body go limp as she saw nothing but blackness.


	9. Epilogue

A heart monitor beeped next to a cot in North's infirmary. On that cot laid an alive, but unconscious Cadence. Her stab wound had been stitched together but she had lost a lot of blood. Pitch had escaped after he threw the dagger at Cadence. He may have been powerless, but he had a back-up plan. He disappeared and no trace of him had been found.

The Guardians were assembled in the globe room. Jack had been sworn in as an official Guardian, but he only stayed for a moment before flying outside and released his rage. A huge blizzard had enveloped the entire Arctic region.

He blamed himself. He shot blasts of ice from his staff, creating giant sculptures of sharp spikes. When he didn't have the strength anymore he just flew to the top of North's factory and sat there. He held the dagger that impaled his best friend.

The blade was a triangular shape and it was jet black in color. The handle and grip were gold. On the quilion, it had the inscription: _Memoria Rapientem_.

"This is my fault." Jack said to himself. "If only I had finished off Pitch before we..."

Jack stopped himself. He thought about the moment they kissed. Well, Cadence kissed him. Did it mean something? Did Cadence want to be _more_ than friends? The more he thought about the kiss, the more confused he got.

He only focused on one thought:

_Is Cadence going to be alright?_

His thoughts were interrupted when the trap door on the roof opened.

"Jack?" Bunny's voice came from the trapdoor as his head peeked out.

"What do you want Bunny?" Jack said a little more sharply than he intended.

"Well, I thought that you'd want to know that Cadence is awake." Bunny said.

"What!?" Jack nearly fell off the roof when he heard it.

"But Jack, you should know that-" Bunny couldn't finish his sentence before Jack zipped down the trapdoor towards the infirmary.

* * *

><p>Cadence stared out the window.<p>

A horrible blizzard was ravaging the outside of the building that's she had awoken in.

'_Where am I? How did I get here? And were those yetis?_'

She had a awoken to find two strange things staring down at her. They were hairy and ape-like. They spoke some sort of language that she couldn't understand. She did scream, sending them into a panic and they left her alone in this infirmary room.

She felt a little dizzy when she tried to stand up. She felt drained, like her energy was sucked out of her. Using a hair tie she found on her wrist, she pulled her bluish-black hair into a fishtail braid. It felt natural for her to do that.

She turned around when the doors burst open.

He had to be 18 at the most. He had messy white hair, striking blue eyes, and pale skin. His figure was tall, lean, albeit slim. He wore a blue hooded sweater with frost collecting around the rings of the collar and sleeves, he wore trousers bound with lighter material starting from the knee down to the rather tattered and frayed bottom. And he wore no shoes or socks, he was completely barefoot.

"Cadence!" He shouted. He leaped from where he stood and almost tackled Cadence in a hug.

But Cadence was a little freaked out. She tried to push the boy off of her, but he was strong. It wasn't until she used her foot to pry herself free that the boy finally let go. Cadence stumbled backwards, crashing into medical equipment.

"Cadence, it's me, Jack!" The boy almost sounded like he was pleading.

"I don't know you!" She cried. "I don't remember anything!"

* * *

><p><strong>And I'm going to end this story here! <strong>

**What? You guys thought I was going to kill her and make her an immortal? HA! I have a whole other plan for Cadence. I'm making a SEQUEL!**

**But not for a while. Like I said, my Hiatus officially begins. So, I'm sorry, but y'all are gonna have to wait. But I will return!**


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